Walk 15: Wildhill West End Loop

4 miles (6.4 km) with 116m total ascent

The view looking SW from point 21

This figure-of-eight route starts from The Woodman at Wildhill. You will pass The Candlestick at West End about a third of the way round. There are some lovely sections through woodland and alongside brooks.

The route involves walking a section of byway twice, but from different directions. There is a stretch of lane walking, but it's a quiet lane with little traffic and there are grass verges where you can step to one side if vehicles approach.

We reversed the route of this walk in July 2024 after a follower of Hertfordshire Walker pointed out that the previous route duplicated large sections of another walk in the collection.

Management at The Woodman say walkers are welcome to use the pub car park if they intend to buy refreshments before or after their walk.

Fly through preview of walk

If you want to check what sort of landscape you will be crossing before you set off on this walk you can view a short 3D video of the route below. It's created using the free version of Relive.

Directions

Map for Walk 15: Wildhill West End Loop
Click on the map above for a larger version
Created on Map Hub by Hertfordshire Walker
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There is an interactive map embedded at the end of these directions

Those with GPS devices can download GPX or KML files for this walk. We've added What3Words references for those who use that system. If you print these walks you might want to use the green PrintFriendly icon at the bottom of these directions to delete elements such as photographs.

The Woodman, Wildhill

1: As you face The Woodman, turn right then head W and uphill along Wildhill Road for 110m until you reach West End Lane on the right (location - https://w3w.co/fuel.full.rental), see image below.

Turn right on West End Lane

2: Turn right on West End Lane then head NNW and uphill for 490m until you reach a right-hand bend (location - https://w3w.co/wiser.panic.torn), see image below.

Follow West End Lane round to the right

3: Follow West End Lane round to the right then head ENE for 160m until you reach a left-hand bend (location - https://w3w.co/forced.mild.wasp). Follow West End Lane round to the left then head N for 100m until you reach a byway on the right (location - https://w3w.co/venues.flesh.button), see image below.

Turn right on Essendon BOAT 14

4: Turn right on Essendon BOAT 14 (byway open to all traffic) then head in a north-easterly direction for 625m until you reach a footpath on the right (location - https://w3w.co/cross.think.wipe), see image below.

Keep left at the junction, still on Essendon BOAT 14

5: Ignore the footpath on the right and continue on Essendon BOAT 14 heading N for 485m until you reach a footpath on the left (location - https://w3w.co/void.gender.tall), see image below.

Turn left on Essendon footpath 13

6: Turn left on Essendon footpath 13 then head WNW for 425m until you reach The Candlestick on the left (location - https://w3w.co/guard.circle.dime), see image below.

The Candlestick

7: Turn right on West End Lane then head N for 30m to a bend (location - https://w3w.co/anyway.mixer.fine). Follow West End Lane round to the right. On your left you will pass a cottage, and in the recently restored flint-stone wall you will see a Victoria Regina (VR) cast iron post box, (location - https://w3w.co/rated.almost.nails), see images below.

Cottage on West End Lane

Victoria Regina (VR) cast iron post box

Continue along West End Lane heading head NE for 255m until you reach a byway on the right (location - https://w3w.co/city.since.upon), see image below.

Turn right on Essendon BOAT 14

8: Turn right on Essendon BOAT 14 then head SE for 255m until you reach the junction you passed at point 6 (location - https://w3w.co/allows.goal.achieving).

9: Continue on Essendon BOAT 14, now heading S, for 485m until you reach a footpath on the left which you passed at point 5 (location - https://w3w.co/baking.depend.nodded), see image below.

Turn left on Essendon footpath 16

10: Turn left on Essendon footpath 16 then head SE for 320m with the hedgerow on your left and the field on your right until you reach a footbridge over Wildhill Brook (location - https://w3w.co/venue.lower.dogs) at the point where it meets Essendon Brook, see image below.

Cross the footbridge then continue heading SE

11: Cross the footbridge then continue heading SE, still on Essendon footpath 16, for 420m until you reach a footpath on your right (location - https://w3w.co/always.cross.chose), see image below.

Turn right on Essendon footpath 15

12: Turn right on Essendon footpath 15 then climb a hill heading SW for 480m until you reach some farm building and a junction (location - https://w3w.co/improving.beyond.mirror).

The buildings around you belong to Camfield Place the home of the late Barbara Cartland.

13: Turn left at the junction, still on Essendon footpath 15, then head SE for 150m until you reach the B158 (location - https://w3w.co/desks.votes.shiny).

14: Cross the B158 then head SE down Hornbeam Lane, which is also Essendon bridleway 18. Continue for 160m until you reach a footpath on the right immediately before a house on the right (location - https://w3w.co/shock.basis.opens), see image below.

Turn right on Essendon footpath 20

15: Turn right on Essendon footpath 20 then head SW for 80m until you reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/woof.wide.minute), see image below.

Go through the gate then continue heading SW

16: Go through the gate turn right then immediately left then continue heading SW (see orange arrow on the image above) for 120m with the woodland on your left and the field on your right until you reach a gate in the corner of the field (location - https://w3w.co/wipes.sock.slave), see image below. This section can be overgrown with nettles in the summer months.

Go through the gate then turn right on Essendon footpath 19

17: Go through the gate then turn right on Essendon footpath 19. Head NW for 210m until you reach the B158, Kentish Lane (location - https://w3w.co/race.oppose.press).

18: Turn left on Kentish Lane, then head SSW for 295m along the pedestrian pavement until you reach a footpath on your right (location - https://w3w.co/smiled.pets.cube), see image below.

Turn right on Hatfield footpath 85,

19: Turn right on Hatfield footpath 85, then head NW through the hedgerow until you reach a field, see image below.

Head WNW for 120m until you reach the edge of woodland

Head WNW for 120m until you reach the edge of woodland (location - https://w3w.co/dads.wages.eating), see image below.

Follow the path NW with the woodland on the right and field on the left

20: Follow the path NW for 140m, with the woodland on the right and field on the left, until you reach a gate in the corner of the field (location - https://w3w.co/overnight.common.valley), see image below.

Continue through the gate, still on Hatfield footpath 85

21: Continue through the gate, still on Hatfield footpath 85, now heading NNW across an arable field for 130m until you reach a gap in the hedge (location - https://w3w.co/trials.shins.ever), see image below.

Go through a gate in the hedge then enter a field

22: Go through a gate then enter a field where friendly and sometimes frisky horses graze, then head diagonally NW and downhill for 125m across a field, see orange arrow on image below.

Cross the field until you reach a gate

Cross the field until you reach a gate (location - https://w3w.co/star.yard.oppose) leading to The Woodman car park.

23: Turn right in the car park then head N back to the starting point.

Interactive map

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